Of Tangles and Tears

Everyone's lives are full of Tangles and Tears...follow along on this mom's blog while I share my thoughts, opinions, and stories on raising kids, life experiences,and world happenings. For each person that stops by I wish you a very blessed day!

Saturday, February 22, 2014

The sound of footsteps echo throughout your house when you are home alone

A door shuts or even opens on its own

Your normally quiet dog is barking at what seems to be nothing

The light in your room, that is broken, suddenly comes to life without the flip of a switch

Someone taps your shoulder and yet when turn to find the culprit no one is there

You see someone walk past out of the corner of your eye only to find you are the only one

My daughter, Hope, when she was around 4 years old came rushing into the backroom of our new home. The look on her face was enough for me to know something had frightened her. After picking her up in a warm hug she began to relax and explained her sudden alarm. "Mama I never want to go into the dining room again." Knowing that all the shades were open in the room she had been so quietly coloring in as I unpacked boxes, my thoughts immediately turned to someone peaking in the windows. However, that was not the story she told. "I...I..I was coloring a picture for you to put on our new fridgerator". I listened intently wondering where this was going. "Then it happened mama". Of course I was still not sure of what she was talking about, so I asked her what had happened...thinking maybe she had spilled something or wrote on the table. "She kept saying 'Hi Hope'". Yep I was lost; I was clueless as to whom she was speaking about, but I, of course, asked. "The little girl kept saying 'hi' to me, and....and..and I could not see her". Well that was enough for me to walk in the dining room and look around. Maybe the little neighbor boy had come into the house. Hope went on to tell me that this little girl lived here first, but likes having other people around.

I am not a skeptic...I do believe that spirits still walk among us. Because of this, I decided to make a phone call to a friend of mine, who I knew could help. We learned so much - the little girl's name is Emily and she is 6 years old. She hangs out in our attic, but has been known to move about the house. At one time her grandmother was with her, but it seems to be only her now. Since Hope has gotten older, she seems to have less contact with Emily. However, Reigan, my youngest (now 7) has become quite attached to Emily, and Emily to her, as well. Reigan has no fear of Emily - I believe that Emily took a shine to Reigan as a baby spending most of her day watching over her, protecting her. Even today Reigan still talks about Emily and on occasion can tell me where she is in the house. I truly hope she never loses her sense of Emily.

We all want to believe in things that are beyond our imagination. Unicorns, Fairies, talking animals, and yes ghosts. Believing that someone you love, who has since passed on, is still here with you gives one a sense of comfort and hope. There are so many stories out there about ghost sightings, some real and some...well as fake as a 3 dollar bill. Then there are those movies that strike fear in anyone who dares keep their eyes open, which is why my oldest son, who just happens to sleep in the attic, shuts his door and puts his chair's hassock in front of it. I tried to tell him that spirits can just walk through doors, but he says it is to keep the cats out.

Maybe we create the images of our loved ones in our mind so much that we see and feel them there with us, or maybe they are here with us providing comfort when we need it most. I like to believe the latter - what about you?

Friday, January 31, 2014

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL! Does a bear tinkle in the woods? Do minions look like little cheeseballs with eyes? Did the 49ers lose 2 weeks ago? YES, Yes, Yes, and Yes...We are a football family. We have the NFL package and on Sundays, during the regular season, football is the only thing playing on our TVs - well unless it is the 7 year old - she can be found in her room enjoying whatever DVD is her favorite that day - usually Scooby Doo or any of the Disney movies. FOOTBALL is far more exciting when you follow a team and in our household there are two - the COWBOYS and the SEAHAWKS. We were just a one team house until I married my husband, Shawn, who managed to bring the green and blue into our house.

With the Cowboys totally screwing up their season... we are now rooting for the Sea (cough cough) hawks. UGH! Now there are many professionals making predictions on the game but I find the non-professionals who are making predictions the most interesting....First I will share their choices and then I will tell you mine.

Ozzy the Bear at ZooMontana chose the Broncos

Teddy the Porcupine at the Dallas Rescue has managed to pick the last two SBs correctly and went with the Seahawks.

Fred the Psychic Bunny has chosen the Seahawks...I wonder how they know he is psychic.

An adorable pack of puppies on the Jimmy Fallon show chose the Broncos

Eli the Orangutan, who has picked correctly the last 6 years, has chosen the Seahawks

Lastly Kiano, a black rhino, at the Blank Park Zoo here in Iowa chose the Broncos.

Okay now I know I am no where near as experienced as these animals in picking football teams but I am going to give it a shot. I honestly believe that the Seahawks are going to leave it all on the field and bring home their first ever Superbowl win. It will be close, a nail-biter if you will.

I know what ya'll are thinkin'..."Well you have to pick them." No, remember I am a Cowboys fan so while I am cheering the S-Hawks supporting Shawn...I believe by what I have witnessed this season from both teams that I have chosen wisely. However, I will support my choice with fact.

First - the 12th man concept...more Seahawk fans have purchased tickets to the Superbowl than Bronco fans. 21% of the tickets purchased have come from the state of Washington, whereas only 8% come from Colorado. Seattle fans are extremely loud and distracting to the opposing team and it seems they will be bringing this element of the game to MetLife Stadium.

Now while Payton Manning ranks first in the NFL in Passing TDs and Passing Yards Wilson dominates him when it comes to the Option running well over 500 yards to Mannings -31 (yes folks that is a negative number.)

Not only is Wilson younger but he matches Manning in his yards per attempt - oh yeah and you cannot forget the fact that Russell Wilson has had more wins in his first two season than Manning did when he first started out.

Lets talk RBs - Lynch outshines Marino in all statistical areas: Years of Experience ~ Marino has 5 years under his belt; Lynch has 7 years experience. Carries ~ Lynch has 301 to Marino's 241. Total yards ran ~ Marino has 1038 whereas Lynch has 1257. Last is number of touchdowns which is really close - Lynch has 12 to Marino's 10.

Then there is your Cornerbacks - Richard Sherman vs Champ Bailey - while Sherman is still green he has managed to outdo his opponent in two major areas. He has 48 tackles and 8 interceptions to Bailey's 14 tackles and 0 (yep zero) interceptions!

I cannot forget to mention Derrick Coleman, #40, the second string running back who has been legally deaf since the age of three. He has to be one of the most inspirational players in the NFL today. I believe he will bring more than his best to this game and show the world how awesome he really is.

I could go on...and yes there are more players I could review but I chose those that I feel are game changers and prove that without a doubt in my mind the Seattle Seahawks will earn the ring in Superbowl 48! Oh and the Orangutan has been right for 6 years - which gives my choice even more merit. So I hope you all enjoy Superbowl Sunday for it is a time to spend with family and friends celebrating one of the best sports ever created!

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Hello all...first I have to apologize I can't believe it has been over a month since my last post but my life tends to go into complete overdrive during this time of the year. Shopping, wrapping, decorating, unwrapping, eating, cooking, and undecorating.

So here we are 30 minutes away from the New Year - 2014. Every year so many decide to sit down and vow to do things differently and make a page full of resolutions. I won't bore you with a page full but since we are on the subject I will share some things I would love to improve this year.

1. Get more organized - I know that this is a popular one, however it is one I am desperate to wrangle in for myself. I am one of those people that is full of ideas on how to make things easier but some how I can't take what is in my head and put it into play. I am hoping that if I get more organized than my kids will pick up on it and do the same....hahahahahahahaha!

2. Lose at least 50 lbs. before my son graduates in May. Yes I realize that is a big task but I am determined to look better and feel better by the time he puts on the cap and gown.

3. Stop smoking - Another very popular resolution but again before my oldest gets his diploma I want to be done smoking...plus my van and our back room will smell way better.

4. Accept more subbing jobs - I have been leery about some of the jobs available because when a math job pops up I hide. I would rather have every hair on my head pulled out than to teach math...but this is a new year with new goals.

5. Pay off more bills - I have worked hard to eliminate several credit card bills and actually have gotten rid of 3 so far and managed to raise our credit score 100 points.

6. Finally keep up a positive attitude...this year has been a hard one to swallow and my goal is for this next year to be happy and full of great happenings.

Saturday, November 30, 2013

From the week of Thanksgiving to the end of Christmas Break our entire family is in a state of chaos. Since we are a blended family, my three older kids travel to their dads for a couple of days over our Turkey Break. Now the fact that they go down is not the problem since my oldest does the driving; it is the planning of when they will go down. I will ask every child and their dad at least 3 times before things are finalized. This year they had Thanksgiving dinner with us and then drove to their dads...however where they were going to leave from was not clearly decided until we were walking out the door. This one of many things that drive me insane during this holiday month.

Up above I posted what has to be one of my favorite Christmas Parodies - The 12 Pains of Christmas by Bob Rivers. I can relate to every single one of the days he brings up in the song. The first one being finding a Christmas tree. When I was younger, cutting down the tree with my kids just seemed like the natural thing to do. Now it is fake all the way, and if you are smart, you buy a pre-lighted one in order to avoid the irritation of going through the lights. However, you can have issues with a fake tree as well. Unpacking a fake tree for the first time is easy because it fits nicely in the box making it easy to remove. What is still a mystery to me, is why the damn tree that fit so well before refuses to go back in the box the way it came out. This is where duct tape comes in handy because whether it wants to cooperate or not that tree is going to be contained. A downfall of forcing the tree back into the box is the chance of screwing up the lights causing the next year to have a tree lit at the top and at the bottom while the middle remains dark, which is why we had to get a new tree this year.

Next is putting up Christmas lights. We live in a 3 story house, not including the basement, so putting up lights is not a tradition we partake in. We do however have two columns leading up to our front door, which we do put rope lights on. If you have ever seen the movie Christmas Vacation where Clark Griswold is attempting to out do every one in the neighborhood by putting lights on every inch of his house than you know that people can get crazy over lights. I have even known it to become such a battle that two battling neighbors would sabotage each other. One time in particular was when one took a bulb out of a large string of lights causing all the others to malfunction - just like the song. The neighbor with all the lights out had his wife and two kids out going through every string with him until the culprit was found, which is a good reason to have rope lights. I wonder if the person who came up with string lights has ever received threatening letters or calls?

I am going to skip over three in the song because I have not had a hangover for over 10 years, another casualty of becoming parents - no life and you become a light weight. . On to four - filling out #$@#% Christmas cards. Now as the woman in the family, this seems to fall on me...which I absolutely hate. It has to be one of the worst jobs at Christmas time. After one year of not doing it at all, and of course getting scolded for it...I discovered a much easier way to do it - HALLMARK! Hallmark has all of my addresses and after I get done creating my card with the kids on it, I pay and hit send. They make the cards and send them out. It is so worth the cost because I no longer have to hand write each card and lick the horrible sticky stuff on the envelopes which I have learned can contain insect eggs. BLECH! Now if you don't want to pay to have them sent another option would be emailing a card you have made with a short letter underneath. This way the only effort comes from making the card and typing in the note.

Since I brought up spending money let's dive into number five - the bills you are stuck paying after Christmas. All I have to say is I am very happy that tax refunds come out in February because if it were not for that extra money...our kids would be opening underwear and socks every year. While I am on underwear and socks - both of my boys are extremely picky about these two things. It has to be Under Armor for underwear and Nike socks, which after buying three of each item for each of the boys, I have to take out a small loan just to cover the cost. Whatever happened to those huge underwear and sock bins where each pair was no more than $2?

During every Christmas we try to spend time with both sides of the family (mine and my husband, Shawn). I have never really struggled with this as I have been blessed with amazing in-laws. No really they are great and I believe my hubby feels the same way. The only thing I would say is that neither one of our dads is still living and we greatly miss both of them. Now that being said I have friends who dread a day with the in-laws because, to put it bluntly, they treat them like they are less than worthy of being a part of their family. As a matter of fact this brings to mind one of my dearest friends, who has to be one of the most giving, loving, and overall amazing people I know, yet her in-laws are horrible to her, which is also effecting her kids. Her wonderful son even took it upon himself to stand up to them and defend his mother...yeah they still did not catch on. I realize that there are people out there who, as parents, we may feel are not suitable for our kids. However, once they have been married for over, ohhhh let's say 15 years it is time to pack up your ill will and get over it because eventually you may alienate your child's entire family including your grandchildren.

Now normally I do not mind putting money in the Salvation Army Ringer's kettle, however there have been a few that get a little pushy. Throughout the holiday season I try to keep some loose change in my purse so my two youngest children can feel as if they are helping out. On a couple of rare occasions I have been coinless and actually had the ringer tell me that cash works and even managed to explain to me where the nearest ATM is located. At that moment I wanted to give this young man a lesson in manners using my foot but instead I quickly walked into the store and silently cursed him in my head. Now I don't know if you have ever taken two girls under the age of 12 shopping with you, but it is kind of like jogging with high heels on...you can't go as fast as you would like, you have to stop and rest a lot, you seem to get side tracked quite often, and when it seems like you are almost at the finish line...your heel breaks off and you have to limp the rest of the way. By the time we got to the check out line, I was swearing revenge on their dad. I bet you can guess what is coming - so as I walked out of the doors with one of the girls pouting and the other girl weeping that moron bell ringer approached me again asking if I had change now (in a very condescending tone); I happily looked at him and said "why yes I do but I need it to put into the offering plate at my Coven meeting, we are buying supplies for a new spell." Yep that left him speechless.

We are getting close to the end of the song; number 8 is referring to kids and the blight that strikes them during this beautiful holiday season (insert sarcasm). I don't know if any of you out there have kids who have contracted this disease but I have to say the only cure comes at the end of Christmas Vacation. What is this mysterious disease you ask? It is called "I Want" and normally strikes kids under the age of 10. Just when you think they have it all figured out what they want under the tree some parent-torturing commercial comes on with the #1 toy on the market and they want that too. However there is good news, when it comes to this disease it seems to disappear once they hit the tweens. Instead the list consists of things that are far more expensive -the cost actually puts your car payment to shame.

I absolutely hate parking lots during the Christmas season because people are insane...kind of like the middle school drop off point with the psycho parents trying to push their kids out the door while the mini van is still moving. Parking is also one area where my husband and I disagree. I say park closer and he prefers the back. We live in Iowa, in December it is very cold... I hate being cold. The closer we are the less time I spend freezing my ass off. Did I mention I HATE being cold.

Speaking of being cold...okay batteries not included has nothing to do with the cold but I could not think of a good transition into number 10 in the song. Now sometimes toys do have the batteries included but more often than not they are those kind that last a whole 5 minutes after removing the toy from the packaging. Now my mom will give our kids batteries as a stocking stuffer, which I love but once the batteries are in the "battery drawer" (yes we actually have a drawer in the mud room solely for batteries) it is first come first serve. My boys have actually come to blows over this...any other time they will steal, yes steal, batteries from remotes, toys, and whatever else they can find that may have what they are so desperate acquire. 9 times out of 10 it is for their gaming controllers. Little do they know that I have figured out their game and managed to switch the desired logs of energy with ones that are almost dead. Yep I can be evil sometimes.

If I have not mentioned it before, I will confess it now...I am a T.V. junky. I would attend a support group but I am afraid I would miss a show. Anyway every year around the Christmas Season T.V. in inundated with Christmas specials. Some are great and some make me want to throw myself into a frozen lake...and you all know I hate being cold. Now my all time favorite special is A Christmas Story. There are so many great one liners and mishaps that even after seeing it at least 100 times, it still makes me laugh. However there is one I do not like and many of you may see this as horrific but It's A Wonderful Life is like nails on a chalkboard. I have never liked it - every so often - I will give it another shot but it never works. I could go on and on about this and the numerous shows that come on during this season but I will save you pain for fear that I might seem to resemble Scrooge.

And now we are on the last day of the song...caroling. To be completely honest, I really have never had an experience with carolers. So I am not sure if this is something that would be annoying or not. I guess if they were out of tune and had the words wrong I would be apt to throw the nearest item at them but if they were in tune and knew the words I may just join them. I do really like the Christian Christmas songs, with my favorites being: Do You Hear What I Hear, Emmanuel, and Noel. The beauty of these songs, if sung well, can make me tear up - but so can the stress of the season.

I know I have spent this whole post poking fun at the Christmas Season, but I really do love Christmas. Watching others open the gifts I have given them and seeing the look of surprise on their faces has to be one of my favorite memories of all time. It is hard to believe that this Christmas will be celebrated without my dad. I have been with him on Christmas for 43 years; this one without him will be tough. I want to end this post wishing all of you the happiest of holidays and a very blessed New Year.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Menopause is time in a woman's life when her periods
(menstruation) eventually stop and the body goes through changes that no
longer allow her to get pregnant. It is a natural event that normally
occurs in women age 45 - 55. Naturally occurs? There is nothing natural about breaking into a sweat while standing still in a cold shower.

I am a 44 year old woman in what medical experts call peri-menopause. Which seems to be a test run of menopause. I kid you not, when I go to bed at night in a room that is kept at a chilly 62 degrees in the winter, I will wake up in a pool of my own sweat having to change my t-shirt and underwear and put a dry blanket down. This on top of the fact that it took me a good two hours to fall asleep!

One of my favorite symptoms is the moodiness...I can go from perfectly happy to tears in less than one second. My two older sons, I believe, may be plotting with my husband to build me a padded room with no sharp instruments and a built in air conditioner (which actually sounds quite peaceful and calming). Give me a fridge and a TV and I won't come out until menopause is over, unless, of course, I have to pee. That leads us into the next symptom, urine leakage. Now I don't believe this is really a symptom of menopause but instead is due to the fact that I have squeezed four melon sized heads out of a very tiny opening. If I cough - I pee, if I sneeze - I pee, if I laugh - I pee, if we hit a bump in the road - I pee, cry - pee, yell - pee, go upstairs - pee...you get the picture. Just a word of advice have lots of extra underwear on hand or buy stock in panty liners. You would think that after all the peeing and sweating that women would end up dehydrated - no such luck.

Let's chat about fatigue or being dog tired, which is kind of a pain because you can be extremely tired and still have an issue falling asleep. I am not completely convinced that my weariness has anything to do with menopause but more instead due to 9 pets, a husband, and 4 very busy children. However, I can say that I can be seriously tired and still struggle with falling asleep. This is why I always have a bottle of melatonin on hand as it is a natural supplement that assists one in sleeping. Since we are discussing sleep, which normally takes place in the bedroom bringing up sex drive seems to be the next symptom to discuss. I have not experienced this at all but I do have friends who are dealing with this problem. My suggestion is to go see your doctor and let them know because there are supplements that you can take to help you get this drive back, that is if you are not too tired to actually go to the doctor.

The last symptom I am going to discuss is irregular periods and worsening premenstrual syndrome. I have really never dealt with the latter but the irregular periods are seriously annoying. It is like a practical joke your body plays on you. You are in your room picking out your clothes for the day; you grab the light colored skinny jeans because there is no bloating and the white lace undies with the matching bra. You decide against the bulky sweatshirt and go with the form fitting shirt - while looking in the mirror you decide to wear your hair down. When you go to grab your brush you realize that your "lady drawer" is running low...no worries you feel great and your friend just left a week ago. Time to hit the mall with your bestie! As you are walking into your favorite store - IT HITS! The cramps come and you race to the mall bathrooms, which are clear on the other side. You shuffle your feet because you are trying to hold it in by squeezing your legs together. Once in the bathroom you dread what you are going to find. Your whole demeanor changes as you wash your hands after dropping your undies in the trash. At home you take off the skinny jeans, put your hair up, find your sweatpants and the bulky sweatshirt. Let the moodiness begin!!!!

On top of all of these lovely symptoms you also have to deal with getting older which includes gray hair, whiskers (yes you read correctly) on your chin, difficulty losing weight, having to stop for a break after going up a flight of stairs, making those noises older (face it you are the older) people make when getting out of a chair or bed, choosing the comfortable shoes instead of the stylish ones because your bunions are sore, and straining a muscle while you are sitting absolutely still.

There are days when I am in my third hot flash, crying at the insurance commercial in front of me - tired and bloated - that I think all of this is due to the fact that Eve just had to take a bite out of that damn apple - if it had been chocolate I would be a tad more understanding but an apple is so not worth it.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

I have started this post out several times - some with long drawn out explanations but I have since deleted and decided to make a list with just a little humor to go with it. On pictures I display I will have them linked so you can find where they originated from.

12 Things I Despise About Today's Politics and the People Involved in Them

1. Birthers - no this is not another name for midwives but instead people who question our president's citizenship.

2. Gun Control - An issue that only becomes a topic right after a tragedy strikes, unfortunately all the control laws only really affect those who follow the laws and not the criminals who commit the horrible acts.

3. Marriage Equality - I cannot put it more perfectly than this illustration.

Cartoons By Jim

4. The Tea Party - Yeah not the one that was led by the Son's of Liberty back at the beginning of the American Revolution. Instead this is a group that has no real platform other than reducing spending and taxes. It has also split into several different tea parties, where some extreme ideas are coming into play.

5.Anthony Weiner - His name befits his actions as this New York congressman was found to be sexting selfies of his junk over social media. Then after claiming he had ceased his carnal activity it was discovered that he had just created an alias by the name of Carlos Dangerous. Still he decided to pursue the office of New York City Mayor but to the satisfaction of the political pool he was not able to rise to the occasion. When asked how he felt about his loss - he proceeded to flip off the press.

6. Rob Ford - I am still trying to understand why the Mayor of Toronto is such big news for us, other than it seems to be quite the distraction from the political storms blowing across our own country. This rotund man has acquired several bad habits; smoking crack, drinking, and of course paying for sex. I am thinking that he should befriend Weiner and throw one hell of a party. Imagine the selfies being taken at that bash! The best part is that Ford refuses to step down from office and when the scandal became public his approval rating skyrocketed. Oh Canada!

7.Obamacare - where do I begin... First I have not and will not read the immense amount of pages in this piece of legislation (2000 I believe). I have, however educated myself on the main points.
a. After the extension those who do not have insurance will be paying a penalty.
b. If you already have insurance through your employer, Medicad/care, or veteran's plan there is no need to worry.
c. If the plan does not meet the bare minimum requirements of the ACA - you will need to seek out a better plan on the federal exchange. - side note here: this is what everyone is up in arms about as Obama said if you liked your plan you can keep it. Well apparently there are several plans that do not meet the minimum, therefore causing people to be dropped from plans, which would end up dropping them eventually if they fell ill...
d. If you already have a health condition no insurer and I mean NONE, can turn you down or charge you more.
e. When your child decides to, oh let's say go to medical school, you can keep them on your insurance until the age of 26.
See future posts for more info....There is one thing about this whole exchange system that really irks me. If you are going to open it up to the country on a certain date please make sure you have given the system a test start up so you don't end up in the clusterf#@k they are stuck in now. It does not take a genius to figure out that computers are not always cooperative. The breakdown of communication and the push to get it ready on time took something that could have been successful and made it a failure in the eyes of those who were relying on it. Get it together Obama or my support on this will be fading away fast.

8. I have been an educator for well over 20 years and I have to say that NCLB and the addition of the Common Core are by far the worst pieces of legislation to exist. Sure it all looks great on paper but in reality we are leaving kids behind and we are not teaching a room full of robot kids. Differentiation and Collaboration should be the main focus of every single class. Curriculum maps are the perfect way to to build a class starting from the end goal and working your way back to where it begins. This gives teachers a way to inject their own teaching personalities into the subjects they are teaching. By creating one single curriculum that is supposed to follow at a certain pace does not allow much time for reteaching. And to be perfectly honest...it seems as if we are trying to shove more information into the kids when they are still in elementary causing some of them to fall behind because their brains are not developed enough to take in so much. This of course leaves them behind. I could go on and on and on...but I will stop for now. Well except for the perfect cartoon drawn by Rob Smith Jr.

9. The tapping of Angela Merkel's (the German Chancellor) cell phone - okay my opinion on this is "HOW IN THE HELL DID THEY GET CAUGHT"? If you were shocked by this tidbit of news than you obviously don't realize that they are probably listening in to a few people in our country as well. We are supposed to have one of the best foreign spy programs in the world and they get busted tapping the phone of an ally. Seriously people the professional hackers out there are laughing at you!

10. While we are on the subject of someone listening in to our calls and reviewing our emails - I am not a big fan of the Patriot Act and I am not all warm and fuzzy about someone checking into or hearing what I am saying to others. However (yes there is a however) I am doing absolutely nothing that would concern our government unless sending an email to my son's teacher about a test he would like to retake is a red flag for them. Look I realize that there are things we like to keep private and if you are sneaking around behind your SO's back to see the neighbor down the street I can almost guarantee that the CIA is not going to tell your spouse what you are doing. Now if you are communicating with someone from your work place than be prepared to deal with the crap storm coming your way because THEY can read your emails and texts if done on computers and phones they pay for. So watch your words and don't say things that could be found out that you prefer to keep secret.

11. Conspiracy Theories - We did not land on the Moon, the Holocaust did not happen, there was no plane that hit the Pentagon, The New World Order, Aliens live under the White House, Obama is a Muslim extremist, Bill Clinton having associates assassinated, and my favorite being the fact that the Bush family had some part in JFK's assassination. My annoyance is with the people who believe these things and then suck others into their craziness.

12. It didn't even take me one day before I would find another gripe to add to this post. So we were watching the news this morning and the anchors were discussing two stories that were somewhat similar but the consequences are far different. So the first was about Representative Trey Radel of Florida, who had just finished pleading guilty for the purchase of some cocaine and then was given one year of probation. Radel does not plan to resign his office, even though several of his constituents have asked him to step down. Obama even commented that this was a personal issue and did not seem to feel a resignation was in order. Now this is all fine and dandy except that the federal government also involves itself in the cases where professional sports players are accused and put in front of a federal grand jury for the possible use of steroids. There is not always evidence against the players they accuse. Take for example A.Rod - who had to sit out for part of the season because they believe that he has been using performance enhancing drugs. There seems to be a double standard... a Representative buys cocaine and is allowed to handle it personally, where as a baseball player is accused and may lose everything including any recognitions given him and a chance at the Hall of Fame. How is this fair?

I could go on and maybe I will add to it in the future but for now I think it is time to put this post to rest.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE - this is what YOLO stands for and is probably one of the most misunderstood phrases out there.

As a matter of fact it may be easier to explain what YOLO is not!

YOLO is not going out and partying every night

YOLO is not getting so drunk that you pass out in the bathroom nearly drowning in the toilet you just happen to be puking in.

YOLO is not smoking so much weed that you begin to see dancing objects in front of you.

YOLO is not attending your first ever pill party in hopes that you don't ingest drugs that should not be taken together.

YOLO is not trying cocaine for the first time - telling yourself you will never do it again.

YOLO is not getting behind the wheel of a car while under the influence of whatever you chose to take or drink.

YOLO is not going to a party and having unprotected sex with several partners and then 2 weeks later waiting to see if the stick has a negative or a positive on it.

YOLO is not taking a gun and shooting it at drivers as they pass by.

YOLO is not taking your clothes off at a party because you are so wasted you have no clue as to what you are doing...that is until you see the pictures the next day.

YOLO is not chatting with a complete stranger in a chat room and then offering to meet them.

YOLO has become an excuse to be stupid...to make horrible choices...to risk your life and others.

What do you say to a doctor in the emergency room, while you are sitting next to a close friend suffering from severe alcohol poisoning - YOLO DOC?

What do you say to the paramedic implementing CPR on your boyfriend because he overdosed on drugs at some party - YOLO?

What are you going to tell the family of your girlfriend who was killed in the car you were driving while wasted - YOLO?

How are you going to explain pictures of you bare ass naked to all the kids in school - YOLO?

What will you say to your parents when you find out you are pregnant and you have no clue who the father could be - YOLO?

Or standing in a court room being charged with the death of an innocent person because you thought it would be fun to shoot at their car - YOLO?

It may seem like all fun now but in the end the only thing this type of YOLOing will do for you is either cut your life short, another person's life short, or put you in a cell for a long time.

The true essence of You Only Live Once is to take and make a positive difference in this world; create a life that is worth living for a long long time. Life is truly precious, not something to be taken lightly. In the words of Mary Oliver, "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" Plan wisely, live long, respect yourself, and leave a legacy others will learn from.